High School Students : Why Do So Many Not Finish College?

In the essay “Are Too Many People Going to College,” writer Charles Murray explains that not everyone is in need of going to college for three main reasons: a liberal education should be gained in elementary and middle school, many people already have knowledge and skills necessary for a technical career, and many students are in college to “buy an admission ticket-the B.A.” (246) and ensure employers consider their resume. Murray does not argue anything against college itself but more against society and especially the education system. Murray also accuses guidance counselors and parents of “automatically encouraging young people to go to college straight out of high school being thoughtless about the best interests of young people” (249).

“In the United States today, there is no more certain investment than a college education”(Carnevale and Melton). Education has always been a major component of American society. One can only go so far without an education, and the more education and knowledge someone has, the better their chances of being successful. Some people believe a high school education is enough, and it is, enough to land a job at a fast food restaurant. I speculate they feel this way because they feel school is not for them, or maybe they just do not want to go far in life. To get far in life people must go above and beyond, and learn things that others do not know to make them

Some people might like education, others might dread it and really don’t see a reason to continue learning about it. Today, for teachers and professors it’s easy to them to tell how the education they teach is effective for an individual student. As we know, education is being taught at school, home, and a little of both. For America today, most children attend preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle school, high school, and college. Depending on the pupil's career choice, it can take up to 20 or more years completing their schooling system, Usually, during the middle and or high school years in America, professors teach you valid things pupils will be using in life.

Throughout the years, America has always debated whether education is needed- if it helps people succeed or not. The argument in the past was always over high school education, which is now mandatory. That decision has helped the US rise economically and industrially. Today, the US is in the middle of the same debate- this time, over college. Some, like David Leonhardt, a columnist for the business section of The New York Times, think a college education creates success in any job. Others, such as Christopher Beha, an author and assistant editor of Harper’s Magazine, believe that some college “education” (like that of for-profit schools) is a waste of time, and can even be harmful to students. Each stance on this argument has truth to it,

“America's Most Overrated Product: Higher Education” was an article written by Marty Nemko that explains and supports his theory behind college education. Meanwhile going to college represents an achievement to some people, they have no idea in what they are involving themselves. According to the statistics provided by Nemko, drop-out rates are out of this world and no matter how intellectual a student is, they are not ready for a university/college. College is defined to be a money making business that consumes dreams students and destroys them. The few students that manage to survive through college end up discovering that their diplomas are worthless and insignificant. Furthermore, college education is poorly taught and offered to many students

As of late, there has been major contention about the standards of American education, one of the major points being the cost to obtain a degree. Current societal standards have condition people to aim for a prestigious degree that will help make it 's holder successful. Of course, society defines success, for an individual, as being highly intelligent, outgoing, wealthy, and family-oriented. Yet, many American citizens are still stuck trying to meet the first item in the success definition. If a person refuses to attend post-secondary school in fear that the certificate of completion will offer no return on investment, or decides to quit due to financial hardships, then how can society uphold its expectation of that person 's success? Much work needs to be done to assuage the fear of a wasted investment, to motivate an individual to continue attending school despite financial difficulties, and to help individuals achieve the expected level of success that comes from higher education.

Only 65.9% of high school graduates continue on to college. (Floyd N.) Why do so many students not advance? Among the multitude of reasons there are for these individuals, the most popular reason seems to be because of the cost. A study done by the National School Boards Association 's (NSBA) Center for Public Education shows that 23% of the students who do not go to college are not going because of financial problems. “Low-income students face barriers to college success at every stage of the education pipeline, from elementary school through post-secondary education, sometimes in spite of their academic achievements,” a White House report stated. (Erin L.) So why, in a country that prides itself in promoting freedom and education, are

From twentieth century to today, should our society enforce high school graduates to go to college have been a controversial problem. In the essay “College in America”, Caroline Bird argues that going to college is not the best and the only way for high school students to success and to become higher class people. According to Bird, the pressure in going to college causes our society to disrespect people with lower education levels or identities. In fact, the huge costs, such as tuition expenses and time spending on college, cannot equalize rich people and poor people. These costs and interests also bring many families huge debts; it stresses their livings and causes financial crisis to families. Furthermore, although people believe that college can bring them higher identities and lead them jobs that they are interested in, the realistic is that there are not enough available job positions for a large amount graduates. College does not take the responsibility for graduates’ career, so only small minorities can satisfy with their jobs after graduating from college. For example, a large number of psychology graduates looks for jobs, but only 7% of them can be hired. More importantly, from research, Bird claims that college studies are not helpful in the real world experience. A third of working people say that there is a little relationship between their fields and college studies. Overall, Bird believes that college is not a premise to become “a noble American ideal”;

According to Arne Duncan, 25% of U.S. high school students drop out or do not graduate on time, which is one out of every four people. In the article, “The Vision of Education Reform in the United States,” Duncan also informs that, “Almost one million students leave our schools for the streets each year.” (Duncan). The U.S. used to lead the world in college attainment but is tied for ninth now. The students themselves willingly choose to give up expanding their knowledge, which negatively affects their future. Consequently, they are unable to obtain a well-paying occupation for the price of inadequately acquiring their diploma.

In this society of scratching and winning mega Jackpots or investing in your talent and earning more than a brain surgeon will ever earn in a life time, many parents today worry that their children might abandon education in search of alluring horizons that promise wealth without a college diploma. If the young people would stop to think about it, only a very small percentage of the population have such luck coming their way. College is and will always remain important because somethings, some experiences in life not even money can buy but a college can make you experience and reason like a diplomat. Ultimately, what is at stake here is the young people who have abandoned reality for utopia. Student loans and lack

In one year, over 1.3 million students drop out of high school in the United States alone. Dropout rates have decreased for the better over the years. “The dropout rate has fallen 3% from 1990 to 2010” (dosomething.org). Of the many students who drop out, only about 63% are presented with a diploma. These students who received a diploma were willing to retake high school courses and gain the knowledge needed to advance to college. A high school dropout is ineligible for about 90% of jobs in America. “High school dropouts are forfeiting their opportunity to pursue the American dream” says Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Grab your backpack it is time to go! Struggling college students face many obstacles when trying to balance classes and life. For most college students, family, money, workload, preparation, and the pressures of life are a few of the reasons that students drop out of college.

Ever wonder why students drop out of college after their freshman year? Have you ever found yourself sitting in class wondering why you had to be there? Well in Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to education”. The global movement Education For All, led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization describes education as not only a right, but a passport to human development; opening doors and expanding opportunities and freedoms. Education is considered a human right and the education we receive should in fact be an adequate one. However, this is not the case if public education is leaving our students unprepared for college. There is a lack of quality

     Think about how much of your life is spent trying to learn all you can and make yourself better prepared for the “real world.'; We start schooling at age five or six. Kindergarten is about finger paints and learning the alphabet. Before we know it, we are standing in front of our class and parents accepting a high school diploma. That is thirteen years right there. Then, if we really want to “succeed'; we have to get through another 4 to 6 years of college. That is almost 20 years total in school. Are those 20 years well spent? Are we all satisfied with the education we received? The answer is “no.'; It is apparent that today’s education system in

We have all heard the expression that “education is the key to success.”. It makes sense, right? The more education you have, the more successful you will be. In some ways that is true. The education we get prepares us for our future and our future outcomes. After all, there is a direct correlation between education and social economic reward and that people with high education usually live happier, healthier, and wealthier lives. Those individuals who obtain higher education and the skills that they learn will later lead the individual to work in high-status and high-paying jobs. We assume that they make an astonishing amount of money and everyone lives happily ever after right? In our world today the “American Dream” is lost, is just that, a dream. We are taught that if you “play by the rules, work hard, apply yourself and do well in school and that will open doors for you,” and you will be successful and all that other crap we are told in school , TV, news, radio and practically everywhere else. Although everyone deserves the right to education and the “key to success” the truth of the matter is that education inequalities exist and not everyone is getting the same level of education or the same opportunities either. The group in America that obtains the best education is the upper class while the lower class students are left with lower odds of education.